Eating from the wild: an insight into the indigenous wild edible plants consumed by the Digaru Mishmi tribe of Arunachal Pradesh

Abstract

Anjaw district is situated at the extreme foothill of eastern himalaya of Arunachal Pradesh, distinctive in its nature by having a rich diversity of wild edible plants rich in nutrition as well as medicinal properties. Ethnically, the Digaru Mishmi tribe (inhabitants) of the district adopted the traditional way of consuming these rich ethnobotanical resources to fulfill their daily nutrition & health care. These plants have traditionally occupied an important position in their socio-cultural, spiritual and health aspects of the rural tribal lives. So, the consumption of wild edible plants as a food source has been an integral part of the indigenous people’s culture. To get an insight into the Digaru Mishmi people’s way of lifestyle, the present study was conducted to explore, identify & document the ethno botany of the Digaru Mishmi people and to record their unique knowledge about wild edible plants. Around 57 species were found & all the plants used by the tribe are tabulated inalphabetical order along with botanical name, vernacular name (Digaru Mishmi), family, parts used, food value and ethnomedicinal uses. Wild edible plants form a good source of protein, fat, vitamins, sugar and minerals requirement of the tribal people to a greater extent. Hence, the paper highlights the identification diversity of wild edible plants andits documentation.